Uniltìrantokx
by corrinenichols
Summary: An intimate look into the minds of Jake and Neytiri. Follows the original storyline.
1. Neytiri & Jake Character Analysis

I'm all about knowing the finer details on my peeps, so I'm starting this off with my take on the character of both Neytiri and Jake. The rest of the story will be in accordance with the descriptive summary.

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.-|.|-|.|-. UPDATE . I actually watched the film today and in it I found that war/warriors in fact exist among the Na'vi, which is contrary to the ideas presented in this fic. I don't know if war/warriors existed in the culture of the Na'vi people prior to the arrival of the sky people or were developed as a means of defense... there simply is no apparent definitive answer presented to this uncertainty. I have read Project 880, the original work of "Avatar", and in it Cameron had specifically said that the Na'vi do not kill nor war against one another (I have hopes to quote and cite this in the indefinite future). I don't know whether Cameron is complying to that original idea in the film with some invisible sub-plot or has dismissed it, but I'm going to take the liberty and continue to use the assertions concurrent with it that I have previously made in this fic. So, no changes will be made, even if the ideas presented in my work are technically inconsistent with the movie.

Disclaimer: No, I don't own or profit financially from Avatar.

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Character Analysis: Neytiri and Jake

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NEYTIRI

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Neytiri is a product of her people; a member of a whole that live and act as one. As are her people, Neytiri is bound to ethical virtues that are a natural part of her character and are in no way diminished or tainted. Honesty, respect, consideration, giving and sharing, loving. As do her parents and her siblings, she acts according to a code of conduct that is as inherent to her as the ability to feel emotion. She is simply a person of pristine virtue, as pristine as her planet and the rest of her race. The concept of deceit, of deceiving her virtue, is insanity. To lie, to own, to hurt is an act that would not only lead to negative effects on others, but to a mirroring repercussion on herself. Think karma. Such things simply do not exist in her world, there are not even have names for them. As she is a part of her people her health is in direct correlation to the health of her people, and as so, her peoples' to herself. All is considered in terms of ensuring the sustainability of both her people and her environment. She is one gear in the system of a clock that ensures its own self function. This is simply the way of her people through nature and through rationale. You see, her people are very intelligent, which is why they not only behave in the way they do. It is why they have not developed technology. They live in complete harmony with their environment, therefore ensuring sustainability.

Neytiri is a hunter, as was decided by requirement of her people in the period she would begin to learn. She is an excellent hunter as she trains by Aristotelian ethics, like all of her people, to become a master at any pursuit. As must be noted, she is not a warrior nor are any of her people. War, even killing another Na'vi, does not exist as pursuit of the race for reasons given above; it is insane to kill.

Neytiri's emotions are simple, as is the way among her people. She feels love, happiness, pride, amusement, curiosity, confusion, fear, sadness, concern, frustration, courage and protectiveness. Such are the only emotions that would be created in her community. She does not feel anger—not until the arrival of the Sky People. Anger is only created through subjection of injustice. The Na'vi never commit unjust acts, and therefore, would never create a cause to feel anger. Injustice was introduced to them by the Sky People and correspondingly was anger. Neytiri has never or never will feel shame for such an emotion is only created in the defilement of her ethics, which she and her people would never do. She would only feel shame for a person she loves who commits a shameful act, however, as her people would never do so the only way she could encounter this situation would be by developing such a relationship with a Sky Person. The trait emotions of Sky People, such as hate, arrogance, embarrassment, envy, greed and other such negative emotions have no place among the Na'vi. Self esteem is also a concept that is absent among the Na'vi as every individual bears the same amount of importance as any other, thus, there is no concept of one being better than another. The only judgment among the people is the comparison of the mastery of pursuits.

Neytiri is naturally a quiet but particularly intelligent and thoughtful girl who dedicates herself with special vigor to her pursuits. Therefore, she is an outstanding hunter and ikran rider. Because of this tendency, through which she has developed a strong understanding of the functioning of nature (Eywa) and of her genetic disposition, she is a suitable candidate for a Tsahik. Also an remarkable characteristic: due to her nature she is also very emotionally intense and her emotional relationships are considerably extreme.

Considering all, Neytiri is not remarkably distinctive from her people as generally does not occur among the Na'vi except for when caused by a psychological defect, which is almost nonexistent in its rareness due to the extreme health of the race.

Jake Sully fell into such a trance of love with Neytiri because of 1) her relationship with him, being his first connection to the Na'vi, and being the consistent link to the people in teaching and demonstrating to him how to think and live as a Na'vi 2) her outstanding physical beauty, which he, as a human, is able to recognize.

Neytiri loved Jake because of his intelligence, his eagerness to learn, his courage, and his kindness. She spent enough time with him to develop a relationship with him that was strong enough to love him. He had the same qualities as a Na'vi, among his other human emotions and traits, and therefore was compatible to her requirements for love. He is not considerably better than any other Na'vi, considering her love for him, but due to his expressiveness with his emotions and traits he is very lovable.

She loved Jake as the Na'vi love one another. Each Na'vi is as lovable, ethically, as any other. It is only through the development of a relationship and the compatibility of personalities that the Na'vi compose love. Unlike humans physical appearance is generally not a great concern to the Na'vi. However, to ensure the good health and figure of the race the Na'vi tend to select their physical opposites, i.e. tall/short, thick/thin, for reproductive purposes. Beauty is not a consideration among the Na'vi as, in fact, all are beautiful.

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JAKE

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There is much and little to say about Jake Sully. He was once a vibrant, colorful man, raised in a nourishing environment of active, intelligent people. His personality was confident, charismatic, and engaging. He loved to please and comfort people and was very good at it being that he was a genuinely kind, empathetic, even altruistic person. His interests were primarily social interests, entertaining his friends and family and stirring happiness in his community, and he in turned developed a deep pool for himself of adoring friends and admirers. He was very intelligent himself, and used his intelligence in humor and in people-reading. But, he lived only for the world around him that was within his sight, his concerns did not extend into that which lay beyond the horizon.

His relationship with his brother, Thom, defied the typical limits of social anxiety and restriction, and his happiness and security in the friendship Jake shared with his brother extended into all realms of his life. Jake had no limits to his humor, no insecurities to limit his curiosity, no psychological trauma to limit his behavior. And in his happiness he was content remain ignorant of much of the world. Though he is in most respects a very good person his natural ethical and moral values, which were unstable due to the ethical instability of his social environment/society of humanity in general, were further tainted by his influences. Due to the number of military personnel from which he descended he regarded the idea of serving in war as something remarkable. He thought that a soldier was a symbol of courage and strength, of patriotism. Because of his grandfather's history in the military Jake felt obligated to pursue a career in the military himself to demonstrate his character and to acknowledge his heritage. Thus, he chose to become a Marine, which is widely considered the most outstanding military force. Jake advanced quickly in the ranking during his time serving and may have held an Officer ranking soon after the time of his spinal injury, if not for the fact.

Everything changed after the injury. Unable to function as he once did, unable to perform the most simple tasks including walking and sex, Jake found himself only living a half-life. With half of his life and his pride stripped away from him he found himself isolated and forlorn in a hostile world that seemed it rather him not exist anymore, which was a feeling that he, in fact, shared with the world. Only the embers of his great humor and love for the people he knew kept him from committing suicide in his state of great depression.

Jake's relationship with his friends, family and his brother remained as strong as ever, his only unchanged characteristic. However, Thom had over the years become a very different man than Jake. Whereas Jake enlisted in the military for social reasons, Thom shunned war entirely for ethical reasons. To Thom killing was the worst action any human partake in. Instead, he focused on science, to help humanity, not kill it. Thom, for environmental reasons that occurred during his youth, was introverted unlike his brother and therefore shaped his ethics on a personal level rather than through the eyes of society as his brother had. Thus, his ideology split with his brother's in their adolescence, and while Jake was encouraged by his family to follow his desires, Thom was as well. So, their relationship was never truly strained. Despite their dissimilarities, the two learned to love each other in the way the opposites attract, complementing each other, though never speaking to each other of their careers.

When Jake heard of Thom's death he was devastated. But when the proposition came that he fill his brother's shoes in his career the opportunity to enact Thom's intentions was a gift and a relief. To know that he could fulfill his brother's wishes, whatever they may have been, sounded wonderful and even more-so, purposeful, as very little had been since his paraplegic inducing injury. So, he accepted largely though uninformed of the situation occurring on Pandora. Had he known about the warfare raging he may have reconsidered his enlistment. You see, Jake never reshaped his opinion of war. It only lingered half-functional, as he did. As so, in his state he was willing and eager to act only on a whim.

So, he went to Pandora a broken, obscure man. Much of his former character was as broken by his experiences in war as was his opinion of war. His was only a ghost, almost.

And yet we find him, through his ability to function fully in his avatar body and the opportunities to live an untarnished life in Pandora, directing a stream of fresh air to stir the last embers of himself. His humor and curiosity return. His hope to encounter purpose and love drives him forward. And his developing love of Pandora and its inhabitants grows his roots of reason to live.


	2. Ultxa

OOC: Thank you, my first 2 reviewers!

I am not sure how many shots I will punch out, but I intend to do at least two more. One being a long explanation of Jake's integration into the Omaticaya and the development of his relationship with Neytiri, and the second being a look into Tsahaylu when made between two Na'vi (I think you know what I'm referring to.) I'd be willing to take preferences on which to work on first, if I get enough. Otherwise, I'd also be glad to take ideas of other excepts to put detail into.

With this particular shot I chose to use Neytiri's point of view. Therefore, there was only so much emotion and storyline that I could go into. But, I feel as if it was a crucial moment to look upon in understanding the relationship of the Na'vi and humans before Jake. I think the other shots (I just don't know what else to call them) will be drastically more exciting/colorful.

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Ultxa (Meeting)

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Neytiri had been on the trail of a Yerik (hexapede) when abruptly she smelt a uniltìrantokx (dreamwalker). Their scent was bizarre, a mixture of the scent of her own people with something foreign, completely unknown, but somewhat akin to the smell of an tawtute (sky person). She did not recognize this smell as Grace, the one uniltìrantokx she would permit to live, which immediately made its body her prey.

Her immediate, instinctual reaction to the scent was hateful fury, an emotion as strange to her as the scent, for before the arrival of the ay'tawtute (sky people) she had never known hate. The smell and its corresponding sensation existed in a jointed relationship, the emotion born of the scent. This scent trail was slight, an hour old perhaps, but she could follow it, which she did. To return with food this day was not necessary, to eliminate this hateful creature was much more pressing.

Never before had she experienced the remorse for a member of her olo'n (clan) to be killed, except for by a natural accident with an ioang (animal). But these ay'tawtute had come, and in their keye'ung (insanity) they kill Na'vi. All are insane. All do not see. They are dangerous, and she will take every measure to protect her people from their killing. This unknown uniltìrantokx has not be announced, he has no reason to be in the na'rìng (forest) and his reason may be to kill Na'vi. She will not take this chance. More so, Eywa has acted to dispose of almost all uniltìrantokx and Tawtute, as so, Neytiri felt herself justified in killing.

She turned from her path and followed the trail of this uniltìrantokx, scowling at the destruction he left behind him: a chaos of broken ayeyaye (plants). Skxawng kewong (moron alien). He was easy to follow, with his careless movement and his unique scent. And he moved slowly, she would have reached him in less than half the time it will have taken him to travel so far.

She is sad to know that she will kill, her first killing ever, but she is determined through her reasoning.

She came to approach him. Unsure of his hunting ability she climbed into the tree canopy where she would be more protected and positioned herself, straddling the tree limb, into a strategic location, watching him for a moment in curiosity. In a moment, having collected and prepared her mind, she rose into a shooting stance and prepared her tsko swizaw (bow and arrow). He looked lost and afraid. To see him so obviously vulnerable and unaware of her threat deepened her sadness. Yet, her resolve remained. Too much sadness have his brothers and sisters brought to her. They have killed her tsmuke (sister), before her own eyes, among many other Na'vi. Her cause to remove this tìkawng (evil) from its position of threat outweighed her cause for sadness. So he drew her arrow.

But, once she has fully drawn, in the pause between draw and release, she heard the minute motion of the Atokirina, which was close, very close to her. She looked for it and found it traveling towards her, to rest on her weapon.

Such a sign cannot be ignored. The Atokirina, an object directly related to Eywa, acts to present Her Message. While She is not Na'vi and she does not speak, she does illustrate her will through the actions of her ay 'eveng (children). The Atokirina is her most beloved child, the closest to her by birth, and therefore the purest. For an Atokirina to acknowledge a living being would exhibit that being as pure itself. This Atokirina has just done so with the uniltìrantokx before her. Eywa acted to prevent his death, for he did not deserve to die.

Unquestioningly Neytiri unnocked her arrow and returned it to its holder. She lowered her bow, and continued to watch the uniltìrantokx, now fascinated. Why is he different? She must know. But first, she must do another thing.

Quickly she left him, to go to the Utral Aymokriyä (Tree of Voices) to tell the Tsahik, sa'nok (mother), through the forest's network communication system what she has found. It is far from here and will take her hours to go and return. However, it is important to relay the information of the sign she has received from Eywa. After she has done so, she will return to this uniltìrantokx, as he is now her responsibility and she will watch him to ensure he does no damage to Eywa's ay 'eveng.

As she returned to the uniltìrantokx, finding him once more by way of her own path and then his, she heard the struggle of a fight between him and ay' nantang (viperwolves). She was surprised. She had anticipated that he could have been killed by some predator in the time she was gone, but she did not expect him to fight, to defend himself successfully. He had moved like an eveng (child), loudly, with no protection save his poor stick, and used no scents from plants of the forest to deter predators. She thought him to be a skxawng and expected him to die should a predator advance, too stupid to protect himself. But as she listened to the fight she heard many nantang, and she could hear that he has not yet been seriously harmed. She was impressed.

With the combination of the impression he has made on her, his strength, and the sign from Eywa, she decided quickly that she would save him. He should not die without a better cause.

She entered the scene of the fight to the unawareness of the ay'nantang, her tsko swizaw prepared. To her great shock and sadness, she found immediately that she would have to kill one nantang to save the life of the uniltìrantokx, and another directly following. She disengaged a third simply through a hit of her bow. But another attacked her, and she was forced to kill it as well. Grief welled within her, fueling her action as she fought the remaining ay'nantang, driving them away as she did so. She regretted now saving the skxawng. So many ay'nantang had died. But once she had entered the fight she had no choice but to exit victorious.

When the remaining ay'nantang had fled, and she was able to redirect her focus away from them, her anger for him returned, anger for what he has done. She refused to look at him as she recovered control of the grounds. Immediately she quitted the fire, which he had put unto his weapon, to keep from attracting more predators as he had done, speaking to herself her frustrations as she did so. With great sadness she heard one nantang that suffered, crying without life, and she went to him, to send him to Eywa with her goodbye and prayer With resentment and sadness she turned thereafter to look for the other dead ay'nantang and went to them as well, to repeat her respectful offerings.

As she knelt before one, the uniltìrantokx spoke to her. He had spoken before, protesting against her quitting his fire, but this time he spoke quietly. Softly. But stupidly. He doubted her ability to understand him, and blasphemously, thanked her for what she had done. _He should not thank for killing the ay'nantang. _Yet, she ignored him, he does not deserve her response, regardless of whether he has good in him.

But he thanked her again, and he seemed to speak sincerely with his lowered, soft voice. It touched, penetrated her. Her anger, intense though never long-lived, gave way once more for a very little curiousness. _Why_? Why was she in this situation with a skxawng uniltìrantokx? He spoke once more; saying, "That was pretty impressive". "_Pretty impressive_" she did not understand. But pushed by her curiosity she looked to him, wondering whether she could understand him if she looked into his face. She couldn't, but what she saw, she liked. The softness that was in his voice sifted also in his expression. His face was foreign, unlike anything she had seen before, broad and flat. But his body was strong. And it showed hesitancy, uncertainty. _Not only does he behave like a baby, but also he seems to possess a baby's innocence in ignorance._ _Yes, though stupid, his unknowingness and the sign from Eywa demonstrates his innocence._

But she would not speak to him. Instead, she would leave this place, knowing that he would follow for some time. She would learn more of him as he did so, herself feeling secure in knowing that he would not be able to hurt her if he would try, as demonstrated by his ability to fight with the ay'nantang.

So she rose and departed the place, and as she had expected, he followed. Speaking as he did so speaking to her words in his language, not all of which she could understand. But she listened, patiently. Her purpose was clear before her, and therefore she was satisfied with the circumstance.

But suddenly, to draw greater attention to himself, he touched her. _Such disrespect!_ Startled and annoyed she spun and swung her bow to hit him, to punish him. Pushed by her sudden rise of annoyance, her anger returned due to what he has done, being that as he had touched her, he had simultaneously thanked her for having killed the ay'nantang. _He should not thank for this, he should be corrected in this._

It had been a long time since she had last spoken his language. She struggled to find the words, and could find only the smallest words that could convey her message and his wrongness.

"Don't thank!", she spoke, harshly, "You don't thank for this. This is sad. Very sad only!", she spoke in a voice she does not know well, but one this is powerful in its menace.

But he apologized, "Ok! Ok, I'm sorry! Whatever I did, I am sorry!"

And with this apology he surprised her, but also sated her in a small way. She stepped back from him, analyzing his expression. Wondering. _Perhaps he could see what he did wrong_. She expressed his fault to him again.

"All of this is your fault, they did not need to die."

But his response, "My fault? How is this my fault, they attacked me! How am I the bad guy?", disappointed her and angered her once more. _He should not deny her!_

"Your fault! …Your fault!" _He must see this… he cannot be allowed to be so dangerously ignorant…. _"You're like a baby! Making noise! Don't know what to do." She extended her bow at him, expressing herself physically to demonstrate the intensity of her feelings and the importance of the message.

"Easy, easy…. Easy", he responded, and his attempt to calm her worked. His soft words once more touched her.

She held her anger for the moment, waiting to hear what this soft-spoken uniltìrantokx would say to her.

"Fine. If you love your little forest friends, why not let them just kill my ass? What's the thinking?"

She could not understand the intricacies of his words, but what they seemed to asked her caused her insecurity.

"Why save you?", she attempted to clarify.

"Yeah, why save me?"

His response still unsettled her. She did not expect him to question her motives. More so, she did know what answer she could give to him. She could not tell him about Eywa- he could not see, could not understand. But she remembered how she was impressed by his ability to defend himself from the ay'nantang. This is something that that she can tell him, something that she can also interweave with the sign from Eywa.

"You have a strong heart. No fear."

She considered this after having said it, such a compliment he had not earned. He must be reminded of his faults, so she threw once more at him in the harsh voice,

"But stupid! Ignorant like a child!"

And with this, she turned and began to walk. Leading him, and contemplating him as she did so. His behavior was remarkably erratic, his language complex. He so mysterious, and it troubled her. His had exhibited himself as of yet as not having hostile intentions. Yet, what could his intentions be? Furthermore, why was Eywa untroubled by his intentions, his nature? Untroubled enough to see actual purity within him? Neytiri was eager to learn the answers to these questions. She had been in contact with another uniltìrantokx before, Grace, the teacher, and had watched the ay'uniltìrantokx that would accompany her at time when she would come into the na'rìng. They never appeared to be hostile either, but the ay'tawtute were, and she knows that an uniltìrantokx was. It was a tawtute in a false tokx (body) of a Na'vi. After the killing had occurred, she trusted no tawtute ever again. But here stood this uniltìrantokx behind her, blessed by Eywa. Could he have a purpose? In his goodness, could he bring goodness to Eywa? To the Na'vi?

He spoke to her as she walked, and she responded, the barrier of language between them broken.

"Well then, uh… if I'm like a child, look, maybe you should teach me."

"Sky people cannot learn, you do not See"

"Well, then, teach me how to… See"

"No one can teach you to see."

_ To see was to understand what one looked at. To look upon the __na'rìng__ and all of Eywa's ay'__eveng__ and to understand the systemic functioning of their harmonic equilibrium. To know how to live in harmony with them. To look upon what was good, and pure, and to understand why it exists. To look upon a Na'vi, and to see she is pure, and to understand how she thinks and feels, what are her concerns, how to make her happy. This, an understanding and a mastery of the sustainability of life, is what it is to See. _

Yet the uniltìrantokx continued to talk in his complex, ugly language, using words and ideas that seemed to her so unnecessary.

"Wait, com'on. Can't we talk? Say, where'd you learn how to speak English? Dr. Augustine's school?"

They moved quickly through the forest then suddenly out onto a tree limb that extended past a cliff into a high overlook of the bioluminescent forest floor. In his awkwardness moving he lost his balance on the narrow limb. She caught him easily, saving him from a long fall. But he was now greatly annoying her by his inability to move adequately.

"You're like a baby!", she said, still harshly, after she had returned him to a standing position. Her expression demonstrated her annoyance and her returning anger, but which was now confused. It enhanced the coldness in her face. She watched indifferently him as he recognized her expression. When he spoke it was, carefully, almost pleadingly.

"I need your help."

She was not touched by his request, although it attempted to demonstrate his innocence in intention. The emotions that have burdened her since she had found him were beginning to overwhelm her. In her confusion, she was beginning to loose grasp of her purpose, becoming very emotionally involved in the situation. Her resentment, now, she could no longer push aside.

"You should not be here!" When she spoke this, using her hand to accentuate the importance of the statement, she spoke not to the individual standing before her, but to what he represented; to the ay'tawtute he was a part of. The ay'tawtute could not see nor understand in their insanity and their arrogance. They were a threat to Eywa and her ay'eveng and to themselves, unable to live harmoniously in Neytiri's world. Neytiri wished they had not come, she wished they had not hurt her world as they had, and she wished she need not have to look upon this ignorant uniltìrantokx before her not knowing the answers to the questions he arose within her. It frustrated her deeply not to know why Eywa would speak for the life of this potentially evil kewong. It frustrated her not to control such an obscure situation that carried so much threat of danger.

"Take me with you", he said.

"No!", she responded impulsively, disgustedly. Such a request she especially would not fulfill- to expose him and the danger he represented to the Omaticaya was insanity itself.

He was pressing her to an invisible wall of anxiety, wringing her with his presence and his requests. She could not tolerate him any longer; he had pressured her senses too far.

"Go back!" She spoke with meaning. She would not hurt him, not now, but she could not carry his enormous weight in her mind anymore.

She turned, this time with the intention of leaving him. When he followed, once more, she knew she must demonstrate her seriousness of intent. Again, she said, "Go Back!" but this time, she utilized her own threat by pressing her weapon against him. She could easily kill him and he would know this.

Suddenly, she recognized again the growing sound that was the movement of Atokirina, but this time, when she looked for them, she found that there were many. They were descending upon her and the uniltìrantokx in a gathering. She had never witnessed Atokirina travel together before, as so, whatever it was that joined them it was a common purpose. As she watched them, her anger faded, leaving her in a simple emotional state filling with wonder.

The Atokirina descended upon Jake.

As the first neared him, fearfully he attempted to hit it away from himself. She reached quickly to grasp his wrist, reprimanding him from doing so again.

"Ftang! (stop)"

As another neared, he attempting to strike it away again.

"No!", she spat, _he cannot see, _"Atokirina!"

He learned then, and stopped, allowing, through fearfully, for the Atokirina to land upon his torso and arms. Neytiri, in amazement of this beautiful wonder, spoke once more, her voice carrying the depth of her emotion,

"_Atokirina._"

_Could he understand, in any way, the significance of this? The beauty of what is happening to him? Eywa has come to him, in such a purposeful way that I could not imagine. Eywa is illustrating him as a wonder himself. _In her thought, Neytiri stepped back, to view the occurrence in all of its splendor. She was enthralled. This uniltìrantokx, who ever he was, was exceptional, a marvel. He was wonderful, in some way. She must learn which, and for why. She smiled, wondering breathlessly.

He spoke to her then, asking,

"What are they?"

She responded without hesitance, a space filling in her breast with atan (light).

"Seeds of The Sacred Tree, very pure spirits."

With a happiness spreading within that space she watched as each of the many tens of seeds alighted onto his body. When each had touched him, they left together, separating, so that each would go it's own way according to its natural, individual whim. The sign Eywa presented earlier had meant nothing in comparison to this.

This uniltìrantokx was momentous. She must bring him to the Omaticaya, he must go before the Tsahik.

"Come."

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	3. Tskxekeng

OOC: So, I was planning on making this chapter detail the entire process of Neytiri training Jake, but I'm going to be busy the next few days, it takes forever to write this stuff, and I feel like I offered an nice look in and stopped at a good place to start again. It's not great, but it'll get much more interesting and complex next time. In this chapter I was simply able to take a nice look at Jake and the intricacies or rather, simplicities, of his human interests and characteristics. Let's remember he pretty much still is like a baby, crawling out of his horrid, dark past. He'll start thinking about bigger things soon.

Thanks for the reviews everyone.

Tskxekeng (training)

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The woman was at ease among the company of her newly arrived calns people. The obvious change in behavior that Jake percieved before him, in her posture and her voice, was as drastic as water and fire. She walked confidently with the grace he had see before, but without the tension. Why? Was she afraid of him earlier? Was she tense with hate? Whatever. He figured that whatever the reason, it'd show itself later.

Also to consider was the fact that various armed Na'vi people surrounded him, one with his knife pressed against his spine. _If my legs are taken away again, this bastard is… _It was a reasonable cause for the hunter-girl to feel more comfortable. If nothing else, he was no longer her responsibility entirely, but rather, was directly in the lovely blue hands of her companions.

Jake had long since forgotten the white, flying jellyfishes that had gotten touchy-feely with him earlier. The woman hadn't said anything about it after the fact, so he figured it wasn't too significant, just a cute short-show.

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Neytiri, herself, in her inability to truly understand the occurrence in why she was bringing this forbidden uniltìrantokx to Kelutrel in reaction to a sign more drastic than anything she herself had ever seen by Eywa, could not give him any answers to the questions he might have, so she remained silent. Patiently awaiting the greater judgment of the Tsahik. The contrast between his quietness and his useless questions that he offered were, however, frustrating. The apparent ignorance of the uniltìrantokx was truly disheartening despite Eywa's apparent regard of him. If only he could provide her with some idea of light, something to satisfy her inability to understand the significance of what was occurring and therefore sooth her confusion. Yet her worries, worries of bringing hrrap (danger) to her people, were gone. Eywa has promised her of his reliability. As so, as she neared her home and her people, she began to feel the smallest growth of a root of ease extending within her. And interest, excitement even, to learn the opinion of her sa'nok (mother) regarding this being.

When her people had approached and surrounded her and the uniltìrantokx she was further comforted despite their agitation and her need to calm and dissuade their fear and anger. She did so forcefully, to express the seriousness of her situation. The presence of Tsu'tey was reassuring; it was appropriate for him to oversee the arrival of a uniltìrantokx into Kelutrel (home tree). And the relationship they shared reassured her personally. Although he may disapprove momentarily of her action, he would see, and the support he would give her in time promised her ease in knowing her action was performed righteously.

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Throughout the time Jake followed the woman after the jellyfish incident, she wouldn't answer his questions. Most of them were stupid anyway. But where the hell were they going? He was glad enough to be with her, of course, but he would have liked to be able to find his own ass in the situation.

So, Jake, himself had been relieved at the arrival of the people. Not because they themselves reassured him, but because he knew that the fact that they did not kill him immediately, regardless of what the woman may have said to them, was good news. _God, she is interesting. Who is she?_

However, as the party, which now surrounded him and had pressed him into movement forward into the jungle, came into view of a Godzilla tree, taller than the damn Empire State Building, his thoughts about the warrior girl were cast aside. Everything in his mind focused onto the tree, knowing instinctually that it was where he was going and desperately searching for possibilities of what was likely to happen to him and what he would find when he got there.

When they arrived he found himself the tense one. It was like he was lost in the forest again, without any realistic means of defending himself (he knew that pointy stick he was using was bull). The people he saw, who swarmed around him, did not look happy. Not all of them looked murderous, but most of them did look at him like he was the ugliest thing on the planet that would be nice to lock away in some dark little hole under the ground.

His party, _Yeah, fun party, _moved him through the crowd, seemingly more protective of the people than of him. Which, frankly, seemed ridiculous considering the odds. Needless to say, he made no resistance. However, the act got old quick, and soon his thoughts drifted back to the woman, enchanted. She was special among the people he had seen so far, in her behavior, even in the way she looked and moved- like some kinda ballerina. _Damn_

Abruptly, they reached the end of the swarm, in the center of the hollowed tree trunk. _The big bastard must have been the size of Hell's Gate in diameter._ There he was pushed into the view of a particularly scary looking guy with a necklace of claws that curiously resembled those of his big, black date earlier that day. _He's gotta be head boss._ Jake attempted to adjust his face and his posture into something that resembled respect and subservience, but the pressure of the situation numbed him his mental coordination of his body. _Ha, I still can't feel my toes_. The big boss spoke, in Na'vi, naturally, but to the woman. Jake's attention was rapt, particularly so when she was involved. She had approached the boss first, speaking to him calmly, even with a degree of intimacy. _Huh. _Jake anxiously awaiting his fate did not, however, wait for her to speak to him.

"What is he saying?"

To his surprise, she responded. But rather icily, not that her words weren't menacing either, like she was telling him to STFU.

"My father is decided whether to kill you."

_Oh shit, her father?_ He liked this girl, if possible, he wanted to spend some time around her while he was chillin' in the 'hood. Now's the opportunity to present himself as well as possible.

Stepping forward, his hand extended, his voice as respectful as possible, "It's nice to meet you, sir"

Bad move, nobody seemed to appreciate that.

Then someone else made his or her self known. Jake looked for the voice, which came from the scariest Na'vi he had yet laid eyes on. _Ha-ha, Dragon Lady, descending from her fortress to examine her prey. Naturally, she only speaks in Na'vi as well. _The hunter-woman next to him allowed him a one-sided introduction,

"That is mother. She is Tsahik, the one who interprets the will of Eywa."

"Who's Eywa?_"_

The Tsahik encircled Jack, getting nice 'n' close with her hands, and surprisingly, came to stand before him and spoke to him in English, the first Na'vi he has yet heard who can speak the language beside his guide. He wondered, what exactly is Tsahik? However, he liked that she was coming so closely to him, her direct contact demonstrated her genuine interest, which no other Na'vi had shown. It gave him hope for the future.

"What are you called?" Her voice was commanding, powerful, and as threatening as her dragon-expression, but also curious.

"Jake Sully."

Then she unsheathed this little pointer thing, and pricked him, not-too friendly like, so that she can… _taste my blood? _Whatever the reason, her expression became that of remarkable surprise.

"Why did you come to us?"

"I came to learn." _Well, half-true._

"We have tried to teach other Sky people. It is hard to fill a cup which is already full."

_Good throw, I can use this. Everything in my cup just fell through the blown-up bottom years ago, with my legs, and I never did bother to re-fill it. _

"Well my cup is empty, trust me. Just ask Dr. Augustine. I'm no scientist."

"What are you?"

_What am I? Besides road-kill?_

"I was a Marine. A… uh, a warrior. Of the Jar-head clan."

_Cute, Jake. Anyway, they seem to like in._

The people seemed to understand him when he spoke, having jumped so quickly when he had said that he was a warrior. The big boss began to speak, holding back his apparently trigger happy sidekick who didn't like what Jake had said. The boss only spoke in Na'vi, but he seemed unthreatening, whatever he was saying. _This is good. And the people seem pretty excited about it, _which heartened Jake. However, the Tsahik began to say something to her daughter, which the daughter obviously did not like. His insides beginning to climb their way up his throat with anticipation, he waited, hoping the Tsahik would relay the information to him. She did.

"It is decided. My daughter will teach you our ways. Learn well, Jhakesooli. Then we will see if your _insanity _can be cured."

_Perfect, but what does she mean by insanity?_

_._

_I do not want this responsibility. I cannot carry the weight of this uniltìrantokx._ Neytiri, however, did accept this responsibility, knowing that she would perform it to her best ability. What further bothered her, was that she knew that through this commitment, all of her other's would fall away. Her days would be consumed by this skxawng. And the expectations of her people would follow her; she would have to carry them daily. The ay'tawtute were beings of extreme weight to the Na'vi, heavy with their emotion. The fascination and repulsion that would surround this uniltìrantokx would cling to her as well. She would become jointed with the uniltìrantokx, and therefore separated, even estranged from her people so long as she spent her time with him, so long as he was in her care. His smell would linger on her own skin.

Once the decision had been made and they had been dismissed by Tsahik and Olo'eyktan she took the uniltìrantokx, _Jhakesooli, _to remove the material he wore on his body and to dress his wounds. It seemed remarkable to her that he had so few injuries from the ay'nantang, yet, he had said that he was a _warrior_, which she knew to be a bringer of death among the humans. Perhaps their skills were comparable to a hunter. It was very sad that he was a warrior. She had not expected him to act in such terrible ways if Eywa should regard him so highly. But her father was intelligent in his recognition; there is much that they might learn from him in understanding the ay'tawtute.

After having cleaned and dressed him, during which time he remained quiet, apparently uncomfortable under her touch, she led him to the place where they would eat. She positioned him in an appropriate place and left to collect food for them to share. When she returned he repeated the question he had asked her so often already, but she had refused to answer.

"What is your name?"

She would tell him now, in consideration of their relationship. The reason for her to refuse, to avoid connection with him, had been denied her. Her regard of him had changed as well. She regarded him now with the same mingled contrast of discomfort and curiosity, but also with certain sadness, a disappointment. He was so disrespectful, like an ignorant child. But he had also proven himself as dangerous, a killer. This knowing shadowed the small hope Eywa had given her regarding him.

"Neytiri te Ckaha Mo'at'ite.

"Ok, again, a whole lot slower."

"Neytiri. Nay-TEE-ree."

Despite her exaggerated accentuation, she said it indifferently, still refusing to look at him. She would at least express herself in how she felt despite her inability to refuse the request. To her surprise Jhakesooli seemed to understand the attempt she made to create a silent distance between them, he did not speak anymore. _This, if nothing else, is good in that he may learn._

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After linking to the avatar the next morning, Jake awoke to find himself still in the hammock he had fallen asleep in the night before, with Neytiri still in the hammock next to him. He watched her from across the short distance between them, considering her deeply. Her attitude and behavior had covered such a wide spectrum the previous day. It was rare that he would see another human express such various or powerful emotions. She was so colorful in so many ways, unlike anything he knew. He wanted to prove to her his goodness, kindness, intelligence. _Right, lost that shot already…._

She awoke suddenly and immediately turned to look at him. Once she did, she scowled, obviously deeply unpleased. _Excellent. _However, as she turned away from him and quickly climbed out of her hammock, she motioned for him to follow. He did.

They descended the spiral staircase of the truck, among the stirring others, which were a conflict of his attention as he tried to examine them yet simultaneously keep his focus on Neytiri, hoping for her to speak to him. But she did not speak to or look at him again for some time. He followed docily, also not speaking, which he found that she seemed to prefer. She did, however, pick a tubular shaped green and blue spotted fruit and handed it to him once they had exited Treezilla and had passed a considerable distance into the forest beyond it. It frustrated him to see her attempting to fill a great distance with silence, _Ice-queen. _But his fascination with her and his determination to gather her trust, whatever it may take, did not fade.

She led him to a stream where some giant ant-eater horses where hanging out, and turning to look at him for the second time that day, she said,

"You will learn Tsahaylu now."

Jake had no idea what that meant, but, "Sure."

Redirecting her eyes immediately away from him, she moved over to one of the horse things, licking nectar out of a collection of plants, and returned to him leading it.

Jake was immediately nervous. He had never ridden a horse, and he was not going to being showing any mastery of technique to Neytiri on this thing. He attempted to calm himself by feigning an attempt to calm the horse.

"Easy boy."

"A'leh is female."

"Oh… ok… easy girl."

Jake looked for some way to climb easily onto her. There is none. _So begins the freak show. _He jumped, trying to pull his way up the horse's side, which he managed though not well. It was uncomfortable, sitting on this horse, having no idea what to do. But he petted her softly on her neck, feeling affection for her and pleased to at least be there, riding her and accompanied by Neytiri in this incredible world. These are things he could not imagine himself doing on earth, where he could only wheel himself around through a dying rat's-nest of shrapnel and filth with no purpose, no pleasure. Here, everything was beautiful and alive and pristine and strong.

He examined the horse from above and saw the antenna sprouting from her head. He had seen the hunters' braids connected to this antenna when they had grouped up on him and Neytiri the night before. He assumed he should do the same and reached for the end of his braid and the antenna himself, then connected them.

Immediately his world took on another dimension. He felt two bodies within his own, two lungs and two beating hearts, and another mind within his. He could not see through more than two eyes, nor feel more limbs than his own, but what he had captured with his senses was more than doubled. He could see better than before, in more directions, and with bigger image. He felt drastically more powerful. His mind even, carried more thought in it, he was more aware of his surroundings-- although that was all, no specific ideas, just awareness.

"That is tsahalyu."

When Neytiri spoke, her voice was magnified, but different as well. An octave higher and with more intense pronunciation and stronger treble. And he was more aware of her; he could smell her much more profoundly. It was an attractive smell, like the forest itself.

"The bond. Feel her."

Jake closed his eyes, examining his body mentally, experimenting with his awareness of the enhanced physical sensation this bond provided him. But when he closed his eyes, his vision did not disappear, it was only slightly diminished, which he realized was because the horse's eyes were still open. Still, his scent and hearing enhanced his awareness of his surrounding to a state where he almost need not open his eyes to know what and where everything around him was. Standing was effortless, his balance perfect, secure. His muscles were constantly tensed, but not strained, powerful enough to carry him great distances quickly without tiring. His human body, _well, avatar body _was so weak in comparison.

"Feel her heartbeat, her breath… feel her strong legs. You may tell her what to do… inside."

Although his eyes were closed, he tested this ability, thinking to the horse to close her eyes. She did, and his vision was lost. He opened his eyes, and then it was both of them were seeing again, though he had not asked her to look. _How does this shit really work?_

"For now, say where to go."

"Forward." Immediately the horse moved forward, but so quickly, so powerfully, he could not remain seated on her and without realizing it was occurring until it did, the connection broke and he was once more just himself, flimsy, blind and deaf. (Although, he must consider that he had felt a similar enhancement of his sense in his avatar body in comparison to his human body, just not as intense, which he assumed was to due the power of his intellectual ability.) And he was falling.

Neytiri started laughing. If not for the fact he was now laying on the ground, covered in mud, he would have loved to hear her laugh, to see her express humor, happiness. Now he was simply flooded with embarrassment.

_And to make this tea party even more fun, here is my new bff. _The trigger-happy warrior guy who was wingman of the big boss the night before rode into their presence with another Na'vi man, both on horses. Jake's embarrassment did not fade. But he gathered some pluck, armoring himself.

"You should go away!", said Tsu'tey

"Nah, you'd miss me.", Jake responded, smiling in face of the challenge. Then, pointing at him and making his return to the challenge, saying simply, "I knew you could speak English."

Tsu'tey however seemed completely unconcerned by Jake's response, and only started to laugh at regarding the mud on his face. Turning to Neytiri he spoke something in Na'vi, something scathing. Jake feigned an attempt to ignore Tsu'tey, to save his pride, occupying himself with the cleaning of what would only be the most annoying mud that covered him.

Neytiri smiled in response to Tsu'tey's remarks, but did not show herself to be touched by them. Only after Tsu'tey had left did she appear to sink into a depth of contemplation, one that Jake could not discern.

"Again!", she said, refusing again to look at him.

.

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It was uncertainty that Neytiri felt. She knew nothing about this uniltìrantokx, he showed her nothing. As Tsu'tey had said, he seemed to see nothing more than a rock. She could not even find in herself now hope for his future, not sincerely.


	4. Nume

OCC:

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I keep breaking this down more than I intended to, but I just keep coming to points where it just feels _right_ to stop, like they're turning points. Plus, I was able to roll this out must quicker than I intended, so I suppose I'll share what I have now rather than later.

Regarding my use of the Na'vi language-- I'm not doing it to be cute, but to enhance Neytiri's POV. I guess all I can say is: this is my baby, therefore I apologize to frustrate anyone but the only option I'm giving is to deal. Regardless, thank you for you input, Sothis Star1.

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Nume (Learn)

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Jake lay awake that night following the lesson on riding pa'li, thinking of Neytiri.

Neytiri had followed the riding lesson with another in fishing, a technique using 20 ft long crude wooden spears. The lesson, like the one riding pa'li, took several hours. Despite her apparent apathy, Neytiri remained ceaselessly insistent and without praise while she taught. _Like a bloody machine. _Yet she was never cruel nor even impatient. Rather, she was consistently enduring, almost serene, offering him a constant stream of advice and explanation, though limply, in her broken accent. Jake responded with obvious dedication to learning, to which she appeared to remain as indifferent as ever.

She had demonstrated obvious mastery of the motion and weapon, catching fish immediately with fluid grace and exact precision from a dense school that habited a specifically deep portion of the stream. Initially, to his further embarrassment, Jake could barely submerge his stick to a depth sufficient enough to spear a fish, however, only wobblingly and without prospect. She regarded this apathetically, which disconcerted him further than his lack of ability. He hated it: her indifference. Was she just so alien that her concerns and emotions were incomrehensible to him, or did she really just not give a damn? Was she just obeying orders? Regardless, he pressed on, pressured by his concern of her reaction to his behavior to do well. He, however, did improve, and managed to catch a small fish by the end of the lesson. He couldn't resist smiling with pride at having accomplished what had seemed to him an almost impossible attack and admired his fish. He couldn't resist being pleased with it, thinking, _Yeah, smaller is harder than bigger_. Neytiri watched him, as ever, like stone, and offered neither compliment nor insult.

With Neytiri's unfaltering coldness came increasing worry for Jake. He could not understand why she treated him so._ Given, it's not like we're from the same planet_. Still, he could not imagine such mechanical treatment to be entirely typical of a social people. He wasn't certain of it though, which kept him from shutting down. Regardless, the reason for Neytiri's behavior was a constant itch he was afraid to scratch. He wanted so badly to know this blue woman, to find out who she was, what she liked, and how to make her happy. But there seemed to be a distance between them as gapingly wide as the distance between Earth and Pandora. _Well, I guess that makes sense. _So he struggled, his mind playing tug of war with itself; half of it being his natural character hoping to engage Neytiri, the other half dominated by an insecurity and uncertainty of how to act, which he was almost completely unfamiliar with. But his determination, considering all, managed to sustain itself.

After abruptly completing the lesson, Neytiri beckoned Jake-- still refusing to look at him-- and led him again into the forest, but this time directly away from Kelutrel. Despite his delightful dates with the monsters the day before, Jake felt safe with Neytiri. She began to speak as she led him,

"Now you learn to use the forest, to help you, to protect you."

Jake nodded; having learned that silence was better with Neytiri. He had rarely been so quiet his entire life; the people of his past life had always seemed to enjoy what he would say, so he would never stop speaking. But the silence was not as difficult as he would have assumed. More so, it allowed him to concentrate, to better learn what Neytiri was attempting to teach him. This way there was more space in his mind for her words to fill. He was used to his mind vibrating constantly with thought, jokes and quips, but this, here in nature and with Neytiri, in all of her glorious poise and elegance, was _peaceful._

He couldn't resist admiring her body from behind as she followed. _Sick as it may be, she is damn fine for a big, blue alien. _There was now no question in his mind that however alien she may be, he was thoroughly attracted to her. Her hair was long, her body, though a bit stretched out from a human's, was actually very sexy, and her face was beautiful. Beyond that, her mysteriousness, even her apathy, had an extremely attractive quality. The unknown… and as exhibited, completely unavailable. Of course, he wanted what he couldn't get. Her exotic-though not too unhuman-beauty was becoming more compelling to him than that of the silly girls at home and their face paint and push up bras, seeking out in every man a grasp for their own self-security. Neytiri was not those girls, she was the opposite, and he loved the taste of it, he loved how she moved with such natural, complete self assurance, he loved her physical and mental strength. Her complete lack of human flaw, for what he could see, was both intoxicating and majestic.

Neytiri walked to a plant surreally similar to seaweed that flowed and danced slowly in the air as if being stirred by a current of water. On the seaweed were small green bubbles that would occasionally drift away from their home plant and search out the other seaweed plants that were in the area. Holding her open palm to him in a signal to stop and watch, she reached her hand for her blade and bending towards the plant used it to cut off one of its tendrils, which she raised and held for him to look at. From the incision Jake could see a moistness layered between the exterior walls of the warning she scooped a bit of the liquid with a finger wiped it on him in one long line from should to shoulder.

He was completely taken aback to have her touch him, it stirred such a strong physical sensation in him his entire body tingled. He looked from her hand on his skin to her eyes, but she was pointedly examining her work, and refused to acknowledge his look.

"When you have the blood of this plant insects will not harm you. But it is dangerous; it will make you very sick. You must have caution. You must wash yourself when you return to Hometree and not touch the blood with your hands."

_So, Mr. plant had a natural remedy to bug bites and he's gracious enough to share? Great. _Jake took a look around, curious about his hypothesis, and recognized that the low buzz of insects he had become accustomed to was present as ever, but he could see no insect surrounding this plant. The plant had no need of an insect because the liquid bubbles that it released appeared to be its own source of pollination. Furthermore, the plant has developed form of self-protection against predators, _poison of mass destruction._ _Yeah man, you smart, you got this shit. _

Immediately Neytiri led him away, taking him on a tour of tens of useful plants and their counterparts and fungi that could be used to attract or repel predators and heal specific injuries or illnesses. She also showed him which plants could be eaten or drunk from. It appeared that the Na'vi did not farm at all, for there was no reason to, the forest provided them sufficient vegetation to gather and feed off alone. There were various types of nectar alone that could be drunk for energy and nutrition. _Wonder how many died in the noble attempt to develop this great source of information?_

_._

Again, this lesson took several hours. Neytiri's persistent patience never diminished, nor did Jakes respectful quiet observance. As the time went on, Jake's interest did not dim either, but rather, grew into silent awe, which he unknowingly expressed through his eagerness to understand what Neytiri would tell him. Neytiri perceived this and found herself occasionally glancing at Jake's face, unable to restrain her satisfaction of his behavior or glimmers of hope that he offered her through his expressions. You see, Neytiri knew nothing of tìkawng (evil) before the arrival of the ay' tawtute (Sky People), and still it was difficult for her to truly understand what evil was. The man before her looked and acted with innocence, as if he were sìltsan (good), like everything she knew. She could not retain her bitterness when he offered no visible reason for her to do so. Being someone who had never had any reason to hold a grudge, she could not find herself capable of mastering the technique. As so, she could not repress thinking, _Atan (light) fills me once more._

When she returned to Kelutral with him following behind her, her hope had begun to multiply itself within her. She found herself looking at him with this delicate growth of hope in her mind as she lay in her hammock beside him that night. _He may learn, perhaps he may even learn to kame (see)._

_._

_ She is incredible. And so is her world. It's like they are part of each other. _Jake dwelled on this thought as he drifted towards sleep, considering exactly what kind of relationship the people… the animals had with their planet. _They're like children, being provided everything they need to live and play by their parents. Pandora gives them everything they need, and they know how to use it correctly. But they never take too much or abuse… it's a perfect balance of give and take. It's equilibrium. And everyone's happy, going one about their merry lives, hunting, making babies, and dying. But all of it is good…_

_I remember this old kids's movie _The Lion King_ that talked about a… circle of life… "We are all connected" or something… makes sense… Clever, Jake._

When he woke the next morning Neytiri was not in her hammock. Suddenly he felt alone in the enemy's territory. He did not know what to do, intuition fled him. He lay in his hammock for some time, trying to decide what the most intelligent thing to do would be. It was not typical for him to do this. Usually he acted on whim and by ear; immediate actions always seemed to accomplish some degree of progress for him in such uncertain situations. However, in this situation he felt that he needed to calculate his options, to decide what would be the most appropriate action. He did not want to risk damaging the image he had put such effort into creating for himself the day before. _Still, the people are letting me into their home. I probably shouldn't make myself comfortable and go through the fridge, but I should be able to walk around alone, if at least to find my _master_… _Deciding this he rose from the hammock and moved to descend the staircase to the ground floor where the people seemed to spend most of their time. _Perhaps she would be in the center with big mommy and daddy. _

He was right; she was there, speaking with them both. They noticed him before he had even arrived within viewing distance, watching him as he descended the staircase. The Tsahìk said something quickly to Neytiri and she turned away from them to approach Jake. She now held his gaze, even as she spoke to him.

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Neytiri had provided to her parents a report on Jake of the past day. She expressed how well he had behaved himself and how eager and quick he was to learn. She told them of the hope she felt. Eytukan was obviously taken aback but pleased. Mo'at seemed unsurprised, but received the information with an appearance of approving satisfaction and stated to Neytiri's own surprise,

"You will teach him all there is for a hunter to know."

Neytiri simply nodded in response, noticing that Eytukan seemed to approve of Mo'at's statement. Upon their realization of the impending arrival of Jake the elders turned their notice to him, observing him as he approached. Mo'at returned to her attention to Neytiri after a moment, giving the instruction that she take him to view the Ikran. She nodded and turned to go to Jake.

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"Come." Neytiri said when she reached him. To his great surprise, she looked into his eyes as she spoke to him, through only briefly before she turned and moved towards the staircase.

_Good dreams? _He mused wondering with surprise at her change in behavior as she turned away from him and began to ascend the stairs. He followed as commanded. She did not stop until she reached the top, which she did effortlessly despite the great distance of the climb, something Jake could not rival.

Climbing out onto a tree limb, Neytiri began to make a completely inhuman bird sound while looking into the dense upper branches. _She's not exactly human, is she? _Suddenly he noticed that there were things in the branches, winged things. He watched while she did, waiting.

Violently, appearing in unbelievable quickness a dragon-like thing clattered, beating its massive wings and screeching deafeningly, into his presence, it's arrival seemingly an attack. Jake could not fall over himself quickly enough to distance himself from the beast, _which was almost as scary as the pretty black girlfriend the day before, and just as pleased to pop in._

"Holy shit!

Turning to speak to him Neytiri said in a tone of warning he need not be expressed to feel,

"Do not look in her eye!"

He immediately followed this direction, noticing just before he averted his gaze how the beast was staring him down, as if daring him to keep looking. _What you starin' at, bitch?_

_ At least she's buddies with it, _Jake said to himself, filling his worry with defensive humor as he watched Neytiri feed the dragon something and speak to it softly from the corner of his eye.

"Ikran is not horse." She said to Jake. "Once tsaheylu is made Ikran will only fly with one hunter in the whole life."

As she spoke, she made the tsaheylu with the Ikran, Tse'ze as she called it. Then, she stepped forward and adjusted some leather strapping that was held into place on the ikran's shoulders. After, she swung naturally unto its back, adjusting herself easily in her saddle without regard to the ikran's powerful movement of muscle and wing beneath her. Jake was in awe, smiling evermore with fascination.

"To become taronyu, hunter, you must choose your own ikran and he must choose you."

Still smiling, Jake simply nodded and responded, "When?"

And for the first time, Neytiri returned his smile directly at him, briefly yet as momentously as a solar eclipse, and said, "When you are ready."

Then, she and the ikran departed to the sound of her own cry, diving into the open space below them and recovering onto a rafter to circle the tree.

Jake watched, enchanted with the capability of Neytiri and her people. To harness as the Na'vi did the power of life, not technology, presented him with a regard of such beauty and strength that all he could find in response to it were the sensations of deep amazement and inexplicable happiness. She was opening his eyes to a fierce, pure splendor he could not have believed could possibly exist while living his life in the man-made dark haze of earth.


	5. Kame

OOC: Thank you to each reviewer, and I am sorry for having such a long period between updates. I may write one more chapter, but I am pretty content with where I end this. Regardless, I hope you enjoy it.

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Kame (See)

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Jake followed Neytiri as she led him silently into the forest. He was being taught how to walk, _like a baby_. Neytriri had instructed him to make every effort to remain silent, to step directly on his heels and to allow his weight to slowly sink into the ground with the rest of his lowering foot. He must attempt to watch the road ten feet ahead of him, recognizing any obstacles and making the necessary calculations to avoid them without distracting his eyes for his eyes had more prudent work; they must look for threats, and for opportunities.

Her body ahead of him moved silently, completely attuned to its environment, extraordinarily aware of its elements with each of her senses. The grace and health of her strong body was exquisite to watch, incomparable to any human Jake had ever seen. It was becoming more familiar to him, but never less remarkable. Her alieness, though less bizzare, was as extraordinary as ever. He was constantly enthralled by her, her movement, her behavior. But still, she was unreadable; still he could never discern anything that she was thinking. It was as if she were hidden behind a door he could not open. It was odd for him, he was used to being extremely in tune with the thoughts and emotions of his acquaintances, but with her it was as if he were as unable to understand her expressions as if she were made up of colors he could not see. There was no question that she was different, that her concerns were different. The typical human concerns--those of vanity, of social success, of entertainment—did not seem to be elements of her thought. He would kill to know what she thought. However, she was beginning to show more emotion towards him. The more time he spent with her, the more he learned from her, the more she would show herself to him in eye contact and smiles. She was opening herself to him, ever so slowly. Yet still, he noted each new increment of offering. He relished them, and anticipated them in the time between each. Each was a gift, and he treated his studies with her with not so much as a way to work himself into adapting to Na'vi culture (which he was beginning to appreciate simultaneously), but as a way into her heart and mind, her soul. You see, he was so in awe of, so enchanted with her. He wanted to see her… and for her to see him.

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And Neytiri, she noted this, unacknowledgingly. It both troubled and pleased her. It was a conundrum she was afraid to address. But she was becoming fond of him, despite his ignorance and his impoliteness in his speech. _He always says things so inappropriate... does he try to be silly? _He was kind, and he seemed earnest, and he worked hard. He was not so unlike herself in many ways. She thought Ay'tawte (skypeople) only to be cruel and selfish, without happiness or kindness. They only want to take and profit, not to learn or give. Jhake did not.

Jhake had not only a strong heart of courage, but also had a heart that seemed to appreciate; appreciate the forest, appreciate her. She saw the way he would look at her. She could interpret his emotions, which were not too unlike Na'vi; she recognized his admiration, and she wondered at it. She could not imagine that Ay'tawte could feel friendship, love, awe. They thought too little about happiness, too little about the sharing, the giving of happiness… perhaps the one Grace had known happiness, that is true… but she was special. _Perhaps Jhake is special as well… very special. Perhaps that is why Eywa regards him so highly_. Neytiri marveled at this, and she began to embrace it.

As she began to embrace Jhake in this light she began to open herself to him as he had hoped, and with each new small display of decreasing the distance between them she made she would see it received enthusiastically from Jhake, and it encouraged her on. He became ever more eager to learn and to please as she did so. And in so, he was transforming before her eyes, he was transforming from alien to person.

The days passed, within only 10 she could not continue to force any amount of her protective shield of apathy or distance. Jhake never gave her a reason to defend her self, and the more time he spent with her the less foreign he became. Regardless, she had never worn a mask over herself before he had come, and it was impossible to maintain such. So, this mask increasingly disintegrated until she was nothing more than herself as she was to her people. And as so, she treated Jhake as one of them.

.

Jake was becoming so happy, so fulfilled. Each day since his training began Neytiri was becoming more and more open to him and exponentially quickly. Within two weeks, she treated him as she treated her own people. The other Na'vi, though much more reserved than Neytiri, began to treat him as so as well. It surprised him immensely, _why are they so open? _He did not realize how unfamiliar the Na'vi were with hostility, considering his entire life had been filled with it and than he could not imagine otherwise. But he went with the flow. Accepting, focused only on learning as much as he could, and getting as close to Neytiri as he could.

He began to see her as his companion, almost like a sister. She, in her natural character, was both quick to laughter and quick to incense, and she incorporated both into her lessons. But this was comfortable to Jhake, her vibrant, even volatile attitude was everything he could have hoped for in comparison to the icy apathy he had known from her at first. His time with her was comfortable, entertaining, and extremely educative. She taught in a very intimate, personal manner, always explaining through an comprehensive combination of action, words, and emotion that allowed him to understand what she was teaching him thoroughly and quickly. He enjoyed not only his time with her, but he enjoyed learning what she taught him, and immersed himself into training with a unrelenting vigor.

She taught him to hunt, to speak, of the rituals of the day, of the history of her people and of Pandora's land and other animals. He learned how to move with his body, how to look with his eyes, how to relate to the people.

She spoke of Eywa, something he found difficulty understanding. He would retell what she would say to him in his journals, like field notes. At first this notes were only disjointed, incomprehensive. _Stuff_ like_ the sprits of animals _and_ the flow of energy._

At first, he was pretty much just concerned with only himself and with Neytiri, with learning to use his body, to increase his strength, and to deepen their relationship. But as time passed and he became more familiar with what he was learning, began to understand all aspects of Neytiri's world about which she taught him more deeply with a greater perspective, his notes became more eloquent, more enlightened. He began to want to understand…

_I'm trying to understand this deep connection the people have to the forest… she speaks of a network of energy that flows through all living things. She says, "all energy is only borrowed, and one day you have to give it back"._

And soon, he could begin to understand. He began to understand his dependence on the land and the life that shared it with him. He began to understand the importance of the health of the world around him and the consequential need for him to respect and appreciate it. He began to understand his transitory role in the perpetual existence of life that continuously reproduced itself. His began to understand the simultaneous inconsequentiality and great significance of himself in both the conscious and biological realms. He began to understand what Eywa was and what it was _to see_. He began to see.

.

And Neytiri could begin to see him. When she began to see, she began to want to share him with her people. She would then spend time with him not outside of Kelutrel, but inside it. She would introduce him to her brothers and sisters, and with her introduction, they would engage him, increasingly more so like one of their own until it were as if he was truly that. Jhake began to know friendship with the people; he began to form those spiritual bonds. Neytiri was so happy to see it. She was so happy to see him fulfill the image that Eywa has presented so obscurely to her in the first day she had come to know him. Jhake was beginning to be Omaticaya, Na'vi. He, though like a child, was undeniably beginning to be one of them. She began to love him for this, for his ability to learn, for his greatness of heart that allowed it. To imagine a Ay'tawte shedding himself to become something so whole and good as was one of her people was frighteningly beautiful. A phoenix born of ashes.

Apart from all else, Jhake was also improving in the aspects of a hunter and functional member of the people. He learned very quickly, much to Neytiri's satisfaction and the satisfaction of the Olo'eyktan and T'sahik. Olo'eyktan asked always after Jhake's progression in the skills of a hunter and what he would tell or show Neytiri of the Ay'tawte that lingered in his self. Neytiri would always answer that his hunting skills and knowledge of the forest were becoming ever greater, and that his thoughts and actions of the Ay'tawte were becoming ever lesser. To T'sahik, who always asked how his mind was, how he saw, Neytiri would respond with increasing happiness that Jhake's mind was becoming filled with more colors and that his eyes were seeing ever more. All three were pleased, a pleasure echoed by the rest of her people who would also ask her similar questions, their curiosity transitioning from defensive to amused. They liked him, he had learned to be respectful, though he still acted so oddly in many ways; but it were as if he was a child trying to be silly, so they would laugh with him like they would laugh with a child. But they were also impressed, he was very quick to learn their ways. He learned what would have taken Omaticaya hunters years to learn in only weeks. This was remarkable to all of the people, and without any reason not to, they respected him. He was a pleasure for them to see.

Neytiri considered his transformation constantly. Jhake was still a Ay'tawte in an Uniltìrantokx (avatar body), but his mind was an entity in itself. Just as his body could travel to any space in the universe, from Earth to Pandora, so could his mind. They traveled together. But that did not mean the both were one, they were separate, inherently whole. And as his mind did not belong to his body, it belonged to no other place or thing. This was proved to her by the separation of his mind and his true body. The Ay'tawte body became thus irrelevant to her. She saw that Jhake's conscious was a free as any particle anywhere in the universe, and with no ties that could not be broken. It could be influenced, but no molding was to be permenant. It could grow with learning, but the space for growth could never run out. He may have been Ay'tawte, and may still be when not among the Omaticaya, but he was also becoming one of the people. His thoughts and feelings of the Ay'tawte were becomg less discernable, less present in his being. The way of the Na'vi was becoming ever more a part of his mind, and in doing to, it began to overhwelm the remains of the Ay'tawte ways that were a part of it. She saw this, and it satisfied her. It also impressed her, and she could not find the distrust she felt for another Ay'tawte when she looked as Jhake. She trusted him.


End file.
